Why Donate?

Becky Evans (last person on the right) tours Snapfinger House run by A Home For Everyone In DeKalb

Worthy causes are not just about the people doing the work, they are importantly about the support those people receive. Often, the good work can’t get done without the many volunteers and patrons that are not always so visible. A Home For Everyone In DeKalb relies on its patrons to help fund its projects, and the most recent campaign for the Women’s Workforce Project will owe much of its success to those donors who have pledged to help.

This month we would like to publicly thank Becky and David Evans for their generosity

How did you get involved with AHFEID?  

We are proud and grateful that our church, North Decatur Presbyterian, has a decades old history, both by our community ministry council and individual members, of initiating homeless and housing ministries in DeKalb, and several of them have also included workforce development.  Some examples are Initiative for Affordable Housing, which started the Reloom organization and Our House, where David was a board member for six years, which provides women and children's housing, and a childcare certification program.  Annie Godfrey is our church friend who introduced us to AHFEID, and we supported the purchase of the first residential home for men in Dekalb.

Also, through Becky's service as a state representative from 2018 - 2024, she represented the Oakhurst community, and she was aware of the closure of the Oakhurst Recovery Center for men at 232 East Lake Drive.  She worked with Oakhurst Baptist Church on the development and strategic planning for the Oakhurst Center for Community, and was aware of the desire to re-purpose the house with new partners for a housing and workforce (program).  

What about this specific project is important to you?  

We love that this is filling a need for providing housing for women, with wrap-around services, with workforce training, with an established partner, and it is located in a safe, walkable neighborhood community that is close to good public transportation.  

Why is the issue of homelessness a cause you choose to support? Do you have a personal story that connects you to this issue? 

We believe housing is healthcare, and living in a stable home allows people to grow and thrive. Becky's brother Vaughn struggled with mental illness and was homeless for five years. You never know a person's story by just looking at them. He eventually qualified for Social Security disability income, and found housing and stability living in Oceanside, California. His housing for many years was not in a safe, stable community, but fortunately, in the last few years of his life, he lived in a senior living community that was stable and safe.